‘Sorry, But It’s Company Policy’: What Not to Say in Business

The 3 words that send chill down my spine when it comes to customer service is: “It’s company policy.”

No doubt that policies and systems are important in a business. Yet by saying so to a customer, you are making your customers feel like they are not very important.

Most of the time, when your staff say those words to a customer like me, I believe it’s not because the policy is poorly made, but it’s usually because the policy is poorly communicated. Someone in management made the policy and possibly just sent the memo down the stream without teaching the team how to communicate it to clients and how to overcome objections.

Because of this lack of guidance, the best your staff can do when the policy is challenged is say, “We’re sorry, but it’s company policy.” Err… I just felt that chill down my spine again.

Now, as business leaders, let’s do a better job in communicating and guiding our team in introducing new policies in our business.

Some things to think about:

• Is this policy a win-win between my company and the needs of the customer? • What is the purpose behind the policy and how can I make sure that my people know the reason behind it? • What are the frequent objections that may initially occur and how should we respond? • What method of communication can I use to ensure there is no misunderstanding from customers about this policy?

Coach Cynthia owns an ActionCOACH Business Coaching franchise in South Jakarta that guides owners to increase your business results with a proven 17-week guarantee.